I needed a vehicle for my 8-mile commute from Queens to Brooklyn. My $350 Jetson Breeze electric scooter wasn't quite cutting it, since the battery barely lasted the full 8 miles and its 250-watt motor and clunky build meant I was slow and frankly felt lame riding it. I started researching the top-performance-tier EUCs because I wanted one of the fastest electric vehicles I could get (I'm also a long-time motorcyclist), but I was very concerned about the safety of commuting in NYC on an EUC. The likelihood of faceplanting in front of a taxi was enough to steer me away. Luckily, I found this scooter, which has similar speed and range capabilities to a good EUC, and the form factor (it has handlebars) made me feel much more safe, so I bought it. After making the commute several times, I can say this scooter is an absolute beast. It takes less than half the time to commute by scooter than it would if I took the subway or ferry. I can cruise at 25+ mph, which means I'm fast enough to hold my own in most car lanes (most city streets have a 25 mph speed limit). This is a big deal - since I'm so fast, cars rarely feel the need to pass me, and being passed is in my opinion one of the most dangerous parts of riding in traffic. Honestly, I usually end up passing most cars because they have to slow down much more frequently than I do. The front and rear suspension is a life-saver too. It makes the ride smooth enough to take at such a breakneck pace. It's no Cadillac suspension, but it will absorb bumps reasonably and I can hop off curbs no problem. It's also fun to leverage the bounciness to hop over small obstacles and slippery spots. The battery capacity on this thing is insane. I can commute to work and back (16 miles total) and still have about half my battery left. I'll have to see if this degrades over time, but I don't require any more range, and I could even charge at work if I wanted to take a 30 mile joyride on my way home. Something else that I really like about this scooter is that I feel really cool riding it. It looks slick, and the performance is so amazing that I can ride it like a madman, and people often see me ripping down the street and exclaim "Woah!" or whatnot. I just have so much more confidence on it than I did on my cheap scooter and it feels great. Now, the negatives. There are no front brakes. There's only a rear brake which is physically much less capable of stopping you than a front brake because the rear wheel skids under brake pressure. You have to lean back pretty far in order to stop effectively, and since this scooter is capable of such high speeds that is a safety concern. The rear brake's effectiveness is controlled via the dash settings. It's a combination of a mechanical drum brake and a regenerative electric brake which can be adjusted on a scale of 0-5. I just set mine to 5 (maximum braking capability) and I'm satisfied. It brakes acceptably, but not exceptionally well. The scooter is also whisper quiet above about 8mph, which is great, but it absolutely needs a bell. I bought a $5 bike bell and attached it (which wasn't very easy - there's not a lot of options on the handle bars for mounting bells conveniently) and I'm constantly ringing to warn pedestrians and announce my presence. When people see you flying by at 27 mph they usually give you plenty of space, but they need to hear you first, so a built-in bell would have been a welcomed addition. All in all, I'm thrilled I invested in this scooter. It is perhaps the best possible way of traveling in NYC and has taken back an hour of my day from commutes. When I get to my destination I'm usually giggly from the excitement of my ride. I can adjust to the so-so brake ability but including front brakes would have been better. If you have the money to spend and don't need to carry your scooter up stairs, the larger Pro IV model has better brakes, suspension, and battery. But if you do have to carry your scooter or want to be able to bring it on trains and whatnot, this Mini model is almost certainly the best choice. It's a marvelous way to get around. Always wear a helmet. Cheers.